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Gustavo Reis is a mathematics teacher, entrepreneur and speaker from Brazil. In his studies and presentations, he explores the intersection of education, design, technology and communication. His talk at TEDxUnisinos 2012 is one of the most watched of all TEDx talks from events that took place in Latin America, adding up to more than 270,000 views.
His extraordinary TEDx success
In his TEDx talk “Seja um fracassado”, Gustavo presented an overview of what life of a teacher is with his own personal story. There was a clear message: it’s possible to be a successful teacher by choice, and really enjoy your work. People, especially teachers, wrote Gustavo to thank him for bringing meaning to their work.
Gustavo also attributes the success of this talk to the power of rehearsing. He spent two months rehearsing every single day until he didn’t have to look at the slides to know where he was. He knew it from the clicker what was on the screen. That gave him confidence. During his preparation, Gustavo read in a book “the more you rehearse, the more spontaneous you will look”.
Also be aware of the opportunity you have, if you are eventually invited to a TEDx talk or another similar big event. Take it as something that can change your professional course.
Better communication for better education
Gustavo believes that education’s main challenges are communication and behavior. Today students often have access to online tools that teachers don’t have. There is a high chance that the students already know what teachers are going to teach. A teacher’s challenge is to help students feel that live classes are still useful and valuable. A teacher’s role should be to become a mentor for students, which unfortunately is perceived by teachers as a step back in their careers.
Related: Public presentations about technical topics
Favorite quotations
“Every single thing that is good requires a lot of work.” — Gustavo Reis
“It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.” — Eddie Cantor
Recommended books
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman
Silent Messages by Albert Mehrabian
Routine to Shine
Rehearse daily if you have a speaking engagement on the horizon. It’s going to be more spontaneous the more you rehearse.
Links
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